AP_322573936374AP Photo/Evan VucciHillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
US President Barack Obama's former press secretary said on Wednesday that, though the president might not make an endorsement in the Democratic presidential primary, he knows who he wants to succeed him.
That candidate is former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Jay Carney, who served as Obama's press secretary from 2011 through 2014, told CNN on Wednesday that Obama would prefer that Clinton gets the nomination.
"I don't think there is any doubt that he wants Hillary to win the nomination and believes that she would be the best candidate in the fall and the most effective as president in carrying forward what he's achieved," said Carney, a CNN contributor.
Obama recently met with US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Clinton's Democratic-primary rival who captured a dominating victory in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. But Carney said that that's simply a sign of the president's intention of staying neutral for now. He added that Obama won't make an official endorsement in the presidential race "unless and until" it's clear Clinton will be the nominee.
He said:
I think the president has signaled, while still remaining neutral, that he supports Secretary Clinton's candidacy and would prefer to see her as the nominee. He won't officially embrace her unless and until it's clear that she's going to be the nominee. I think he is maintaining that tradition of not intervening in a party primary.

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